Imaginary Friend
by thatgirlinredandgold
Summary: There were times throughout Anna's lonely childhood that she wished for an imaginary friend, and he came crashing into her life in a wonderful blue box.
1. Chapter 1

**Thanks for reading! This is an idea I've had floating around in my head for quite some time, and have been writing it practically non-stop for the past couple weeks. As a result, the story is mostly finished and updates should be frequent. Probably. **

**For reference, the story takes place around Series 7 Part 1 for the Doctor, and throughout Anna's life (mostly pre- Frozen).**

The castle was quiet, as usual. Quiet and boring. For what had seemed like the fifth time that day, Princess Anna of Arendelle was walking towards her sister's room. It was winter, but the snow that usually fell around this time of year had been noticeably absent. Up until today, that is.

She had woken up late, a daily occurrence since Elsa had moved out of her room, shut the door, and walked groggily over to the large window with a heavy sigh. No snow, again. What was the point of winter if it wasn't going to snow?

Then, as if the skies had heard her sigh, the princess caught a glimpse of the very first snowflake. Large eyes widened even further as she let out an excited squeal. "Elsa!" Her sister loved to build snowmen, this would surely draw her out from behind the door.

But it didn't.

One hour of dreamily staring out the window later, and she still wouldn't come out. And again and again, Anna begged and pleaded for her sister to open the door, certain every time that when her little fist pounded out the familiar rhythm the answer would be different.

It never was.

Anna was never one to give up. Once her mind had been set to something, she never stepped down, despite the persistent "Go away, Anna!" she too often received. This time she was certain, well almost certain, that the door would unlock. With a determined nod of her head, she turned around quickly and stomped her way towards her sister's closed door. Her small feet echoed back to her as she made her way down the empty hall. Before reaching the stairs that led up to the bedrooms, she tipped her head towards her favorite painting, "Afternoon Joan!" She reached up one hand towards the railing, short fingers barely reaching it before she stopped herself. The silent hall was no longer very silent, for a small wheezing and grinding sound filled the room, growing louder and louder with each passing second.

The princess turned around slowly, curiously looking around for the source of the noise. Just a few yards down, past the row of paintings and suits of armor, a box was starting to take shape. It blew into focus, but disappeared with a shuttering wheeze, then turned around to repeat the cycle. It was large to her short stature, but seemed almost smaller than it was. As she approached the box tentatively, she noticed that the color was the bluest blue she had ever seen. A small smile gracing her lips, she placed her tiny hand against the rough wood of the door, but pulled it away almost immediately. There was something slightly off putting about this new object that had taken up residence in her family home, because when she had placed her palm against the wood, a soft buzz-like energy had shot through her body, quick and soft as a quiet hum.

She knew she should be scared, or that she should run away and find her father or one of the guards. But curiosity got the better of her, and she reached her arms high above her head to grab the handle and pull the door outwards.

The inside almost took her breath away. So enthralled by the apparent magic of the unexpectedly large interior was she, that the princess almost failed to notice the man who was spinning wildly about the center console, pressing buttons, and pulling levers. He was muttering to himself, something about strange readings and bursts of some kind of energy. Though Anna had noticed him, he had failed to notice Anna.

"Excuse me, sir?" Her voice was too quiet to be picked up by the man. "Sir?" She tried again, a little louder, but still received nothing. Fed up with being ignored again, she stomped across the glass floor towards the spot where the man had finally stopped to look incredulously at a screen, and tugged at his brown tweed jacket. The man jumped, startled, and quickly turned around with his hand reaching towards his inside jacket pocket.

Anna tried to stand up to her full height, attempting to look the part of the regal princess that Elsa had always been so adept at portraying, but Anna had found impossibly difficult. "Excuse me, sir, but you have to leave. Mama and Papa don't like to have strangers here."

A wide grin spread across his face as he lowered his hand away from his pocket, and reached to straighten his bowtie. He slowly kneeled down in front of the young princess in an attempt to match her height. "I won't be here for long. I was just following a distress call on behalf of a Princess Anna of Arendelle. Do you know where I might find her?"

Anna tipped her head to the side, a puzzled look clouding her expression. "I'm Princess Anna sir, but I never called you here. I don't even know who you are."

He stuck out his hand and waited for her to shake it. Still confused, she tentatively obliged. "I'm the Doctor, here to help." He said finally.

"I don't need help." Anna argued defiantly.

"Are you sure?"

"Well…" Anna let the word trail off as she allowed her eyes to wander around the room. It was truly one of the most magnificent things she had ever seen, and that included Arendelle's castle when it glittered under the bright winter sun after the first snowfall of the season. She started to walk slowly along the edge of the console, trailing her hands lightly over the buttons and levers, and purposely ignoring the Doctor as he followed closely behind her. She finally reached a short staircase that no doubt led to some corridor or room that was just as wonderful as the one she currently found herself in. Anna sat down with a purposely dramatic sigh. "I guess I do need help, Sir Doctor."

The Doctor kneeled in front of her, not batting an eye at her obvious display. "And what do you need help with, Princess?"

She leaned backwards, spine pressed into the hard stairs and arms spread wide. With another large sigh, she said, "I'm bored."

The Doctor chuckled lightly, "Well, we can't have that, can we?"

Suddenly, an idea seemed to light up Anna's eyes. With an excited squeal, she grabbed onto the Doctor's arm, shaking it as she bounced up and down. "Do you wanna build a snowman?"

"A snowman?"

"Yeah! My sister and I love to make snowmans, 'cept now Elsa won't play with me. She just stays in her room all day, and Mama and Papa are too busy to play with me, and Papa told all the staff that they had to go away, and then he shut the gates, and my only other friend is Joan, but she's just a painting, and so now I just have to play by myself all day."

The Doctor's face switched from mild amusement to mild pity in the blink of an eye. "I guess you're pretty lonely, aren't you?"

Anna nodded, but remained uncharacteristically quiet.

"Well, I suppose one trip wouldn't hurt. I'm pretty lonely too, could use a friend every now and again. What do you say, Anna?"

The princess's face lit up, "You wanna be friends?"

"I would love to be friends."

"I've never really had a friend before." Anna admitted sheepishly, though a small smile still tugged at the corner of her mouth.

The Doctor could feel his closed off hearts melting at the sight of those large blue eyes that glimmered with so much hope, a glimmer that had long since faded in his own. "Well," He said with a grin. "I think it's high time you got one. I think you mentioned something about a snowman?"

Anna nodded, the small smile quickly turning into a wide grin that could easily rival the happiest man in the universe.

"Why don't you get the door Anna, and then I can show you something absolutely wonderful."

…

The doors of the TARDIS opened slowly as the Doctor watched Anna for her reaction, his favorite part of showing off the universe. Anna showed no signs of disappointment. Her eyes widened in awe as she took in the winter paradise before her, the mountains that glittered with snow under two suns, the distant ocean which had frozen forever with tall waves stopped still in a glimmering crest, and the trees which sparkled with ice. She took a tentative step out the door, bracing herself for the cold to sink through her thin shoes. She let out a small gasp. The snow wasn't cold at all!

Anna looked up at the Doctor, as if asking for permission. He gave a small nod, and watched as she took off running down the hill they had landed on, her short braids bouncing gaily behind her.

"This is so cool!" She exclaimed from the bottom of the hill. The Doctor chuckled softly to himself and followed her down. He had barely made it to the bottom when he was met with a faceful of snow and a badly concealed giggle. "I got you, Sir Doctor!" Anna taunted with a grin.

He shook the snow off his face, but found it too difficult to be annoyed with Anna. With a grin that matched his youngest companion, he said, "So, you want to build a snowman?"

Amy had always said the Doctor could act a bit like a child, and here was his chance. Oh, if only his little Amelia Pond could see him now. She'd probably find it ridiculously endearing to see the 1000 year old alien rolling around snow with a little girl, and tease him mercilessly as Anna pelted him with snowballs. She'd roll her eyes when he pulled out a spare bowtie for their new snowman, and laugh as he used some goofy voice to animate it. He'd have to introduce Amy and Anna someday. That is, when Amy wasn't off doing human things with Rory.

It had taken four more snowmen, sledding on the frozen waves, and several hours later before Anna's energy started to dissipate and she allowed out one tiny yawn.

"Ready to go home, Anna?"

She shook her head indignantly, but another yawn gave her away. "I don't want to go home. I want to stay with you forever."

Painful memories clouded the Doctor's mind for a brief second before he pushed them hastily away. "We can't stay forever, Anna. Your family will miss you."

"Elsa won't. She doesn't ever want to see me anymore. And Mama and Papa are too busy to really notice if I'm not there."

"Now, I'm sure that isn't true. Your family loves you. Even Elsa."

Anna looked unconvinced. "Really?"

The Doctor looked Anna straight in the eyes. "Really."

Anna held out her hand expectantly, waiting for the Doctor to take it. Hand in hand they made their way back up the hill to the wonderful spaceship and headed home.

"Come back soon, Sir Doctor."

He made a low bow, resulting in a series of giggles from the princess. "I'll be back before you can even start to miss me."

She shook her head indignantly, rushing over to wrap her short arms around him. "That's not possible, Doctor. I already miss you."

He smiled sadly and waved goodbye, watching his young friend retreat out the front door. Anna waited until the very last wheeze and groan of the TARDIS had finished it's echoe around the hall, before turning around abruptly and continuing her trek towards her sister's room.

"Elsa! You won't believe what just happened!"

**As always, a review would be much appreciated. If you have any questions or something, I respond to each review I receive with updates and answers to questions and what not. Thanks again for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm back! A bit later than I expected, because I had meant to keep this on a weekly schedule and update every saturday. Oops...**

**I'd like to thank everybody who took the time to like, favorite, or review this story. It honestly makes my day to see all the positive feedback this story is getting. I try to respond to every review I get. Though, the last chapter I kind of lost track of who I had already responded to and might have missed some people. So I'd like to just say thanks to everybody who reviewed and I apologize if I never got around to talking to you!**

**Hope you enjoy!**

The Doctor didn't come back. Anna tried not to be disappointed as one year passed, and then another, and another, and another. She had busied herself with stories, telling her family again and again about all the amazing things the Doctor had shown her.

After the TARDIS had disappeared, Anna had sat outside Elsa's door and described the winter wonderland in explicit detail, talking excitedly about the large family of snowmen, the huge frozen waves that were perfect for sledding, and the snow that didn't even feel cold. Her mind was so wrapped up in the wonder of it all, she had missed the muffled sounds of her sister moving around, and the quiet thud as Elsa sat down on the other side of the door.

That night at dinner, her parents had indulgently listened to their daughter's tales. They had smiled endearingly as she requested a place be set at the table for a special guest, her new best friend. She was only five, after all, and children often created imaginary friends for themselves. Sometimes, they would hear her through her bedroom door, talking to nobody as if in prayer.

"Doctor, when will you come back for me? You promised."

"Doctor, when you come back, can we bring my sister, Elsa? She never leaves her room. She must be lonely too."

"I miss you, Doctor."

It would be seven years of unheard prayers before he would return. Seven years of staring wistfully at the stars and wistfully at her sister's door. Seven winters with no snowmen.

Anna was in bed at the time, having said her nightly prayer and kissed both her parents good night. That night, the sky was awake, and dancing brilliantly in an array of colors. Time changes, but people never do, and Anna found herself lying awake well into the earliest hours of the morning. The castle was quiet, save for the creaks and groans that come with living in a centuries old castle, but, as she listened intently, she could hear something new just down the hall. It was a familiar sound she had started to believe she would never hear again.

It was the Doctor.

Quick as a flash, she threw back the heavy blankets and padded quietly down the hall, being careful not to wake anyone. She stopped at the top of the stairs, hardly daring to believe her eyes. There he was, just as she remembered him, leaning up against the TARDIS, all gangly limbs and floppy hair.

"Doctor?"

He turned around, searching for the voice, before setting his eyes to the top of the stairs. "Anna! It's been a while, I take it?"

She rolled her eyes with a small snort. "If seven years is a while for you, then yeah."

"Well, I've done worse." He retorted with a smirk.

Anna found it impossible to be annoyed with him and his late arrival. With a giddy giggle, she launched herself down the stairs, taking them two at a time and nearly falling in the process.

He caught her just as she was about to fall face first into the TARDIS. "Woah, watch it there."

Anna looked up at him, her big eyes shining with delight. "I've missed you, Doctor."

He smiled knowingly and motioned for her to enter his blue box. "So, fancy a late night trip around the universe? I think I know just the place. Hedgewick's World of Wonders! Best amusement park in the universe. You'll love it, everyone does!"

As the Doctor rambled on, Anna thought briefly of asking to retrieve Elsa, but memories of hopeful knocking met with ice cold silence stopped the idea in its tracks. She shook away the thought as quickly as it had come.

She was starting to grow impatient with the anticipation of a new exciting trip just on the horizon. "Don't just stand there and tell me about it. Let's go!" Anna teased, stopping the Doctor's long winded speech over just how the universe's tallest ferris wheel had been constructed.

With a snap, the TARDIS doors shut tightly, and the Doctor spun wildly about the console. "Well Princess Anna, next stop is the universe. Hold on tight."

They were words spoken just in time, for at that moment the TARDIS gave a violent lurch, sending both the Doctor and Anna flying backwards. Anna let out a delighted squeal as a wide grin spread across her face. "That was awesome!" She exclaimed, jumping up from her position on the ground. "Did we land yet, Doctor? Are we there?"

"Why don't you see for yourself." He said with a grin.

Anna didn't need to be told twice. She raced over to the doors, swinging them open with one great push. "Oh my gods," she breathed.

They found themselves in the middle of a busy street, with hundreds of people milling about. Anna had never seen anything quite like it. There were people that looked human, and those that looked a bit more, well, alien. There were children, grasping their parent's hand tightly and leading them quickly around the street. There were extravagantly colored booths lining the sides, and vendors shouting out prices loud enough to be heard over the bustling crowd. There were games, and balloons, and the strangest foods Anna had ever seen. A giant wheel reached straight into the sky, so tall that Anna couldn't even see the top of it. And at the very end of the street, glimmering under the golden sun and standing proudly against the carnival backdrop, was a castle.

Anna wanted to see everything. And that's exactly what they did.

Night fell with the sun shedding its final rays against the busy park. The heavy crowd shifted away from the rides and attractions, instead moving towards the end of the street. towards the castle that had captured Anna's imagination from the very beginning.

"Where are they going?" She asked the Doctor.

"I think they're going to see the show." He replied.

She looked up at him with hopeful eyes and a tiny grin. He responded in kind, sticking one hand out for her to grab. "Let's go." He said.

They took their place amidst the hundreds of people, packed together shoulder to shoulder and mumbling quietly amongst themselves. And then, silence. Not the silence that was ever present in her own castle, bred from closed doors and a distant family, but a silence that hummed with anticipation, with bated breaths, and speechless awe.

A single figure took the stage, silhouetted against the lit castle. She was human in appearance, and wearing a billowing cape and flowing dress. The woman lifted her arms above her head, and with one swift motion, there was ice. It crept down the castle in silvery tendrils, spreading out over the ground.

Something pricked at the back of Anna's mind, as if a distant memory was fighting its way forward. She let out a quiet gasp as the woman erected a tall, glittering sculpture. It was beautiful. It was breathtaking. It was… wrong.

The woman's motions were shaky, and forced. Her posture was stiff, and when the light passed briefly over her face, her eyes were empty, devoid of all life and feeling. She was more than scared- the woman was terrified.

"Doctor, something's wrong."

The Doctor looked down at his young companion, concern creasing his forehead. "I think you're right, Anna."

Once the show ended, and the people had disbursed, only the Doctor and Anna remained. They immediately made their way towards the stage as the Doctor reached into jacket.

"What's that?" Anna asked curiously.

"This," He replied, holding up the object for her inspection, "is my sonic screwdriver. Really useful, especially in situations like this, so if we just-" He let the sentence trail off and began to wander around the stage, scanning around the entire area. "That's not possible. I've never seen anything-"

"Hey! You two! Get off my stage!"

The Doctor and Anna turned around abruptly, Anna's eyes widening in fear at being caught. The man started to approach them, but the Doctor stopped him by pulling out some kind of badge. "So sorry about that sir," He said. "Inspector of Fun and Amusement, just inspecting the fun and amusement of this attraction with my plus one. We apologize for the inconvenience."

The man's demeanor started to change immediately, from fiery anger to a cold indifference. "Well, then get to it, I guess. If you'd like to go backstage and meet the performer, then you're welcome to it."

"Wonderful!" The Doctor said, putting the badge back into his inside jacket pocket. "Why don't you show us the way."

…

Anna couldn't believe it. She had started to be suspicious when they had descended low beneath the castle, bit her tongue to stop her from commenting on the moldy walls and stale scent that filled the air. If they were going to meet the performer, why were they walking into a dungeon? A whole line of bone chilling thoughts passed briefly through her mind, but none of them really prepared Anna for what she came face to face with.

It was her sister.

Well, not really. This woman was at least ten years older than Elsa, her face absent of the light freckles that dotted her sister's cheeks, her nose too long, and her eyes dull and lifeless. But the resemblance was there all the same; the pale blond hair, the elegant features, and light blue eyes. It took all of two seconds for Anna to drop the Doctor's hand, and run to the woman who was chained to the wall.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Anna asked quietly, allowing their eyes to meet. "I'm so sorry…" The woman looked up at Anna, opening her mouth to speak.

"Quiet!" The old man that had brought them down to this dreadful place barked. "I'd step away from her miss, she's dangerous."

Anna hadn't realized just how angry the Doctor was until he spoke. Then she noticed the way his eyes had narrowed, the way his features had grown taut, and how a quiet fire burned with every word. "Of course she's dangerous. She's terrified. And you're the one who's scared her."

"Well what was I supposed to do?" The man demanded, but was only met with the silent glares of Anna and the Doctor. "Hmm? Quiet now, are you? You don't understand what she's like. This little witch has been a thorn in my side since the day she was born!"

"Is she your daughter?" Anna questioned, feeling her own rage build up again. His silence was the only answer she needed. "This is your daughter and you've chained her up? Like a common criminal? That's horrible! That's despicable! You're a monster!"

"Enough!" He roared, closing in Anna. The Doctor stepped in front of his young companion, protecting her from this volatile man. "You don't know what you're talking about. You don't know what she's done!"

"What does it matter?" Anna asked, stepping back in front of the Doctor. "Nothing she could've done could possibly be worth this."

"She killed my wife, her own mother. That was the first thing she did when she was born. She's a murderer."

Anna turned to face the woman, barely daring to believe it. Perhaps it was the way she looked at Anna, so much like her sister, her once best friend, that made her question the validity of this man's statement. "Is that true?" She asked gently.

Tears started to build up in the woman's eyes, as she took one shuddering breath. "I-I didn't mean to. I d-didn't know what I was doing. I was only a baby! I couldn't control myself!"

"Oh, but you were plenty older when you decided to turn on me, weren't you?" The man demanded, reaching over and pulling her up so they were face to face by grabbing a large tuft of hair.

"Let her go!" Anna screamed, using all her strength to try and push him over. "Doctor! Do something!"

Wasting no time, the Doctor reached forward and pulled him back. Swiftly turning him around so that they were face to face. "What do you mean?"

Anna could see the man's hard exterior crumbling as his eyes glazed over in fear. She had never seen the Doctor look quite so terrifying.

"Do I need to ask again?" He demanded, his voice steely and cold.

"N-no sir. I, uh, I just meant that she knew what she was doing when she tried to kill me," The man stammered, visibly shaken.

"I didn't try to kill you! It was an accident, I swear! Please, you have to believe me!" The woman was hysterical, and Anna noticed the frost that was creeping slowly down the walls. "I didn't mean to hurt him." The final sentence was spoken in a broken whisper as she sat back down against the wall.

"I believe you," Anna said finally, after a long silence. She turned to the man, standing up to her full height and playing the part of the princess she was meant to be. "Unchain her." The man did nothing, so Anna stood up straighter. "Did I mumble, sir? Unchain her."

He smirked, obviously amused by Anna's forced display of power. "You know, I don't think I will, sweetheart."

"I am Princess Anna of Arendelle, and you will do as I say."

He laughed, a mean, bellowing guffaw. "Arendelle? Do you think I'm an idiot, 'princess'? Arendelle's nothing but a myth. And besides, you're in Hedgewick's World. Princesses don't have any power here."

The Doctor stepped up to the man, facing him to where they were almost nose to nose. "No? But I do." He said slowly, dangerously. "Unchain her."

With shaking hands the man did as he was told. The woman rubbed her wrists tenderly, and Anna sucked in a deep breath upon noticing the wounds. "Are you okay?" Anna asked, feeling a kinship with this woman, as if she was her real sister.

The woman attempted a smile. "I will be." She said. "Thank you."

"You don't know what you've made do. She's dangerous. She'll hurt-"

"Quiet!" The Doctor was seething, and every ounce of anger within him was clearly visible to everybody in the cold dungeon. "I have half a mind to-"

"Please don't hurt him." The woman spoke the words softly, as if she was afraid to say them. "He's my father. Just...don't hurt him."

The Doctor seemed to be at a loss for words. A strange occurrence, Anna noted. "I wasn't really going to… I mean, he's your father but he didn't really-"

"I know, I shouldn't be able to forgive him at all. But it's just… it's my fault that he's like this."

Anna shook her head adamantly. "No, it's not. You didn't mean to do anything. Don't blame yourself."

The woman smiled, grateful for the young girl's unwavering faith in her. "You're right. I didn't mean to do anything to hurt him, but I did." She was looking at her father now, her eyes almost pleading with him to understand, to forgive her. "I was only a little girl, and I should have been terrified of my powers, and I suppose I was, for a little bit. But he would always tell me how wonderful it was, how magical. After a while, I started to believe him." She smiled briefly, noticing that the glare her father perpetually wore was beginning to soften. "He asked me if I wanted to show the universe my magic in a beautiful show of lights and color and ice. He said Hedgewick's World of Wonders was missing the most wonderful wonder of all. I said yes in a heartbeat. I was only eight years old at the time, and I didn't really know what I was getting into.

"It turns out that Hedgewick's World of Wonders could've done without me. Some people didn't seem to like my magic. It was fine at first. We just had to endure the shouting and the claims of witchcraft and sorcery. It wasn't everybody, but it was enough to upset me. And then, things changed." She paused, not seeming to want to share the rest of the story. Anna gave her hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze, and she continued. "Things turned violent. People would launch themselves on stage, try to grab me or throw things at me. I didn't know what to do. I was only eight years old! I was scared, and I couldn't control myself. I started to cry, hysterical sobs, and by the time I was able to look up, everything was coated in ice. The crowd had dispersed, and the only person that remained was my father."

She looked away from Anna and the Doctor, turning instead to stand right in front of her father. "I froze his heart." She whispered, putting her hand up against his chest. "I'm so sorry Daddy. I am so, so sorry."

And suddenly the terrified woman retreated back into a whimpering child. She wrapped her slender arms around the man that had chained her to a dungeon wall, forced her to perform against her will, and treated her so poorly. It was as if Anna could see his heart melting, as his eyes were cast downward and he found that he didn't see his performer, but his daughter. Slowly, fighting against the icy cold that held his heart, he wrapped his arms around his daughter.

"No, I'm sorry, Ingrid." He said, kissing the top of her head.

Anna and the Doctor both suddenly felt like they were intruding on a private moment, and started to head for the stairs.

"Wait!" The man called out to them, breaking away from his daughter. "I would like to thank you, both of you, for helping us. I don't want to think of where we'd be without you. If you wait right there, I'd like to give you something." He walked into a back room, leaving the three of them alone.

"Are you going to be alright?" Anna asked Ingrid.

Ingrid smiled graciously. "I will be. It'll be hard to forgive what happened, and I can't say that we'll ever be the same. But you, Princess Anna, have given us a chance to try. Thank you."

Anna's smile quickly spread across her face, just as Ingrid's father returned to the group. "For you, two golden tickets for use any time at Hedgewick's World of Wonders. It's nothing compared to what you've done for us, but I felt I had to repay you in some way."

…

Anna sat quietly on the TARDIS floor, fiddling with her little gift, as the Doctor started pushing buttons and pulling levers all around the TARDIS console. "So, where to Anna? Another planet? Ancient Rome? Do you want to meet Joan of Arc? Or Amy and Rory? I'm sure they'd love to meet you. I told them all about our snowmen. Maybe we could go back and-"

"Doctor, I'm actually feeling a bit homesick."

"Oh." The Doctor's shoulders slumped forward a bit, though he couldn't blame her. She was still only a child, just twelve years old. It wasn't right to keep her away from her family, despite how lonely he felt.

"I just want to go home for a little bit. Maybe a week or two."

"Right. Of course." The Doctor pushed down one more lever, and Anna could tell that the TARDIS had landed.

"Doctor?" He looked up at Anna, waiting for her to continue. "Don't make me wait too long, okay? None of that seven year business, that was ridiculous."

"Hey! I didn't mean to make you wait that long. Though, granted, I have had a bit of trouble getting the timing right in the past…"

"So you're just a bad driver then?" She teased.

"Yea- Wait! No! I'm a wonderful driver!"

Anna snorted indignantly as she made her way over to the daft old man and wrapped her arms around his torso. "See you in a bit, Sir Doctor." She said.

"I'll be back before you can even start to miss me."

"Impossible."

**I hope that wasn't too bad. I really struggled with this chapter, which is probably why it took me so long to get it done. I really liked the idea, but kind of had trouble executing it. Anyway, next chapter will definitely be up on Saturday.**

**As always, I'd love to hear from you in a review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**For once, I've actually kept my promise about updating! I'm sorry that this one's a bit shorter, but I feel that where this chapter ends is where it's supposed to end, and adding anything to it would've messed with the flow of it. Interesting tidbit, this is actually the first chapter I wrote for this story, and I've been centering all other chapters on this one. It's a bit darker than the previous chapters, but considering the subject matter, I'm assuming that's to be expected. **

**Anyway, thanks to everybody who left a review! This time, I think I responded to everybody. If not, I'm really sorry. Hopefully I'll keep better track of reviews this time around. **

It had been hours, she was sure of it. The routine was familiar, a series of short knocks and a desperate plea. However, despite the circumstances, the reply was familiar as well. Silence. Anna fought desperately to hold back the tears that were threatening to overflow, but the pain seemed to be so much worse today than it had ever been. Before, she had been lonely, but never alone. This, she thought bitterly, this is what alone felt like. Her parents were dead, and the only person left in her life was a sister who wanted absolutely nothing to do with her. But, despite the resentment she could feel growing in her heart, she didn't want to give up on Elsa. As the Doctor had once told her, never walk away.

She could just see the light fading from behind the closed windows, and knew that another day had passed without a single word. Never walking away felt like a noble purpose, but didn't some circumstances call for such an action? Why put hope in an idea that was hopeless? Why love a person who would never love back? Why? Like a switch had been flipped in her grieving heart, anger welled up within her. Oh, how she wanted to scream, to tell her sister to grow up, to bust down the locked door and tell Elsa just how much she hated her.

But Anna didn't hate her. How could she? They had been close once, before the gates had closed and Elsa had locked herself away. No, Anna didn't want to scream. This time she didn't just want to walk away. She wanted to run.

As if on cue, a familiar sound once again echoed through the empty corridors. Wheezing and groaning, hope materialized just steps down the hall. Anna was there in seconds, pushing the door open without knocking, knowing it would always be unlocked for her. The thought of being angry at the Doctor's late arrival never seemed to cross her mind. She barrelled straight towards the ancient man, wasting no time in wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her head in his chest. The tears came before he had the chance to return the embrace.

The Doctor didn't know what had happened, but that didn't seem to matter. He held her tightly and kissed the top of her head, giving the only comfort he could.

"Oh, Anna…" He whispered, just to break the heavy silence.

She gave one great sniffle and looked up from his tear stained shirt. "They were visiting her sister in Corona, and there was a storm. And now they're-" The sentence broke off into heavy sobs, but the Doctor was just able to make out the final word as Anna returned to her buried position.

Dead.

It could've been hours, minutes, or just a couple seconds. Anna wasn't really certain. When comfort was given, time didn't seem to matter, and she drank in every moment. Finally, she wiped at her nose, released the Time Lord from the embrace, and turned toward the console. She refused to let him see her teary face, because now the grief and anger that dwelled within her had been spent, replaced with a stony determination.

"Can I ask something crazy?" She said finally. "Show me the universe."

The Doctor nodded. He understood. Hand reaching for a lever, and two heavy hearts weighing him down, he replied, "Geronimo."

…

Healing was a process, and though the scars remained on Anna's heart, she covered them with wonder. She covered them with the birth of a solar system, a future where buildings towered high into the sky and carriages were horseless. She covered them with aliens, and planets, and stars. She covered them by saving people, bringing families back together, and holding the hand of her very best friend. Over time, the scars faded. It was no longer hard to plaster a smile on her face, and she didn't have to pretend to be happy. For the first time in forever, she felt free.

But then they found themselves on a distant planet, where the trees were said to whisper the secrets of the universe, the true intent of the heart. The Doctor had said that it was a load of Dalek dung, and Anna had laughed but insisted they go anyway. She was starting to wish she hadn't.

"Conceal. Don't feel. Conceal. Don't feel." The trees spoke softly at first, but with increasing earnesty.

Conceal the scars upon your heart. Forget the hurt, the pain, the fear. Only wonder, and magic, and imaginary friends.

Though Anna knew it was impossible, the voices felt both familiar and foreign. She remembered the voice once, in a dream perhaps, or spoken from behind a heavy door.

Elsa.

"Doctor, I have to go." She said quickly, eyes darting back and forth between the different swaying trees.

His eyes said he knew, but his words said he hoped otherwise. "Of course, Anna. We'll head back to the TARDIS and then we can-"

"No, Doctor. I have to go home."

"Oh."

"Just for a little bit, okay?"

"Just for a little bit."

With one final hug goodbye and a promise of a quick return, Anna waved goodbye to her friend. She stood in the familiar corridor, waving until the last groan of the TARDIS had faded into nothingness, before rushing towards her sister's room.

"Elsa! Elsa, I'm back!"

There was no rushing forward of guards, no teary eyed sister welcoming her home with a tight embrace. There was only the same force that had held the castle for so long. Silence. Though it had been months for Anna, only seconds had passed for Elsa. Not a single thing had changed.

Anna sat down outside her sister's door and whispered, quietly so as to be certain no one would hear, "I've missed you Elsa. It's been awhile. You wouldn't believe the things I've seen."

**Thanks for reading! I'll be back, hopefully, next Saturday with another chapter. If you have any questions or ideas for later chapters or comments, please leave them in a review and I'll do my best to respond to all of them. Thanks!**


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